Abstract: A sensor assembly for determining yield of grain harvested by a harvesting machine during harvesting operations. The sensor assembly includes a sensor housing, a displaceable sensor member and a displacement sensor. The sensor housing is mounted to the grain elevator housing above an upper sprocket of a conveyor disposed within the grain elevator housing. The sensor member is displaceably supported via the sensor housing within the elevator housing above the upper sprocket and along a direction of travel of the grain piles thrown by the conveyor flights rotating around the upper sprocket. The thrown grain piles produce a grain force on the sensor member causing a displacement of the sensor member in relation to the grain force. The displacement sensor generates a grain force signal corresponding to the displacement of the sensor member.

Abstract: An agricultural trench depth sensing system having a trench implement adapted to be disposed in a soil trench opened in a soil surface. In one embodiment an ultrasonic sensor detects a distance to an upper surface of said trench implement or a target disposed thereon. In another embodiment, said trench implement includes one or more fingers which rotate with respect to said trench implement to detect the soil surface relative to said trench implement. In another embodiment, said trench implement includes side sensors for detecting the sidewall of the soil trench.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for agricultural monitoring of soil characteristics and determining soil color are described herein. In one example, a method of calculating soil color data includes obtaining, with sensors of a soil apparatus, soil measurements. The method further includes calculating soil color values in a visible spectrum including at least one of red, green, and blue color values based on the soil measurements and determining color data for at least one color image without false image artifacts based on the calculated soil color values and associated coordinates within an agricultural field.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for imaging and characterizing a soil surface and a trench in the soil surface formed by an agricultural implement. The sensors are disposed on the agricultural implement in data communication with a processor to generate the soil surface and trench images which may be displayed to the operator. In one embodiment, the sensors include one or more time of flight cameras for determining a depth of the trench and other characteristics of the surrounding soil surface and the trench, including detection of seeds, soil or other debris in the trench and moisture lines within the trench. The system may control operating parameters of the implement based on the generated images.

Abstract: An agricultural trench depth sensing system and method includes a light source (2002), a receiver (2003) and a sensor (2004). The light source directs light downwardly toward a trench previously opened in a soil surface. The receiver is disposed at an angle relative to the light source to receive reflected light. A sensor connected to the receiver senses a pattern of the reflected light. A monitoring system in communication with the sensor, generates a data frame containing triangulated line coordinates and intensity values of the reflected light indicative of a measured depth of the trench. The generated data frame may be associated with GPS coordinates for generating spatial maps and may be used to control operating parameters. The generated data frames may also identify relative soil moisture versus trench depth, or presence of dry topsoil or residue in the trench, or to identify seeds, seed spacing and seed depth.

Abstract: A mobile agricultural machine includes a row unit having a furrow opener mounted to the row unit and configured to engage a surface of ground over which the mobile agricultural machine travels to open a furrow in the ground. A furrow closer is mounted to the row unit behind the furrow opener and configured to engage the surface of the ground to close the furrow. A furrow sensor system is mounted to the row unit and configured to sense characteristics relative to the furrow opened by the furrow opener and generate a sensor signal indicative of the characteristics. The mobile agricultural machine can further include a control system configured to determine a furrow quality metric corresponding to the furrow sensed by the furrow sensor system based on the sensor signal and generate an action signal to control an action of the mobile agricultural machine based on the furrow quality metric.

Abstract: A system for monitoring a seed trench having a vision sensor disposed at a distal end of a seed tube.

Abstract: A reversible seed trench appurtenance for a row unit of an agricultural planter. The seed trench appurtenance includes an upper portion and a trailing portion. The upper portion is received within a mounting bracket attached to the row unit of the planter. The seed trench appurtenance is movable between a normal operating position in which the trailing portion extends into the seed trench. When the row unit is reversed in a direction opposite the forward direction of travel, the seed trench appurtenance moves from the normal operating position to a reversing position in which the trailing portion is vertically above the normal operating position thereby avoiding damage to the seed trench appurtenance and the mounting bracket.

Abstract: A reversible seed trench appurtenance for a row unit of an agricultural planter. The seed trench appurtenance includes an upper portion and a trailing portion. The upper portion is received within a mounting bracket attached to the row unit of the planter. The seed trench appurtenance is movable between a normal operating position in which the trailing portion extends into the seed trench. When the row unit is reversed in a direction opposite the forward direction of travel, the seed trench appurtenance moves from the normal operating position to a reversing position in which the trailing portion is vertically above the normal operating position thereby avoiding damage to the seed trench appurtenance and the mounting bracket.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an electrical control system (400, 450) comprises at least one sensor (800, 900) that is configured to illuminate multiple light sources (924, 926) with each light source having a different wavelength and to sense one or more products (832) flowing in a product line (822, 922) of an agricultural implement (10, 1240). Processing logic (416, 1226) is coupled to the at least one sensor and the processing logic is configured to obtain sensor data from the at least one sensor, to determine response signals for each product when illuminated based on the sensor data, and to analyze the response signals for each product to determine product characteristics including color of each product to distinguish each product.

Abstract: A reversible seed trench appurtenance for a row unit of an agricultural planter. The seed trench appurtenance includes an upper portion and a trailing portion. The upper portion is received within a mounting bracket attached to the row unit of the planter. The seed trench appurtenance is movable between a normal operating position in which the trailing portion extends into the seed trench. When the row unit is reversed in a direction opposite the forward direction of travel, the seed trench appurtenance moves from the normal operating position to a reversing position in which the trailing portion is vertically above the normal operating position thereby avoiding damage to the seed trench appurtenance and the mounting bracket.

Abstract: A system for sensing characteristics of a trench in a soil surface during planting operations. A trench opening assembly opens a trench in the soil surface as the trench opening assembly moves in a forward direction of travel. A trench closing assembly disposed rearward of the trench opening assembly closes the opened trench with soil. One or more sensors may be disposed on an appurtenance disposed in said trench configured to provide characteristics of an area of the open trench or an area of the trench closed with soil by the trench closing assembly or a sensor may be disposed outside of said trench configured to provide characteristics of an area of the trench closed with soil or a combination of the sensors may be disposed in the trench and outside of the trench.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for imaging and characterizing a soil surface and a trench in the soil surface formed by an agricultural implement. The sensors are disposed on the agricultural implement in data communication with a processor to generate the soil surface and trench images which may be displayed to the operator. In one embodiment, the sensors include one or more time of flight cameras for determining a depth of the trench and other characteristics of the surrounding soil surface and the trench, including detection of seeds, soil or other debris in the trench and moisture lines within the trench. The system may control operating parameters of the implement based on the generated images.

Abstract: A soil apparatus (e.g., seed firmer) having a locking system is described herein. In one embodiment, the soil apparatus includes a lower base portion for engaging in soil of an agricultural field, an upper base portion, and a neck portion having protrusions to insert into the lower base portion of a base and then lock when a region of the upper base portion is inserted into the lower base portion and this region of the upper base portion presses the protrusions to lock the neck portion to the upper base portion.

Abstract: A soil apparatus (e.g., seed firmer) having a locking system is described herein. In one embodiment, the soil apparatus includes a lower base portion for engaging in soil of an agricultural field, an upper base portion, and a neck portion having protrusions to insert into the lower base portion of a base and then lock when a region of the upper base portion is inserted into the lower base portion and this region of the upper base portion presses the protrusions to lock the neck portion to the upper base portion.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for monitoring soil properties and applying fertilizer during a planting operation. Various sensors are disposed in ground engaging components for monitoring soil properties. The ground engaging components may have structure for opening a side trench in the sidewalls of the seed trench and may include liquid application conduits for injecting liquid into the sidewalls of the resulting side trenches.

Abstract: A soil apparatus (e.g., seed firmer) having a locking system is described herein. In one embodiment, the soil apparatus includes a lower base portion for engaging in soil of an agricultural field, an upper base portion, and a neck portion having protrusions to insert into the lower base portion of a base and then lock when a region of the upper base portion is inserted into the lower base portion and this region of the upper base portion presses the protrusions to lock the neck portion to the upper base portion.

Abstract: A row unit downforce system including: a downforce actuator in operational communication with the row unit and constructed and arranged to apply supplemental downforce to the row unit and opening disks; a monitoring system comprising at least one furrow depth sensor constructed and arranged to generate furrow depth values; and a control system module, wherein the control system module is constructed and arranged to generate actuator command signals in response to the furrow depth values.

Abstract: A processing system having: a central processing unit (“CPU”) to execute instructions for processing agricultural data; and a communication unit to transmit and receive agricultural data, the CPU is configured to execute instructions to obtain soil temperature from a soil apparatus having at least one sensor to sense soil temperature, to obtain air temperature, to determine a temperature offset based on the soil temperature and the air temperature, to obtain a predicted air temperature, and to determine predicted soil temperature for a future time period based on the temperature offset and the predicted air temperature.

Abstract: An agricultural implement system having: a row unit coupled to a tool bar of an agricultural implement; an opener system coupled to a chassis of the row unit and configured to engage soil to form a trench; a downforce system configured to apply a downforce to the row unit to adjust a contact force between the row unit and the soil; a soil condition sensor configured to detect a condition of the soil and/or an operational sensor configured to detect operation of the agricultural implement system; a closing system, configured to close the trench created by the opener system; and a controller coupled to the soil condition sensor and/or the operational sensor, wherein the controller is configured to control the downforce system and the closing system in response to feedback from the soil condition sensor and/or the operational sensor.